Produce, a category that outpaces total store sales at $63 billion, increased in dollars 3.3% and grew in volume 2.6% over the 52 weeks ending March 19, 2017, according to “Power of Produce 2017,” produced by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), Arlington, Va.
The analysis, conducted by 210 Analytics, San Antonio, Texas, and supported by data from IRI, Chicago, and Nielsen, New York, reveals that while price remains an important factor in produce selection, appearance still dominates. In fact, 58% of impulse produce purchases are a result of eye-catching displays. The popularity of locally-grown also continues to soar, with 54% of shoppers hoping for an expanded local selection.